The Macquarie Group Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Macquarie Group ("Macquarie") (ASX: MQG; ADR: MQBKY), today announced that it has selected Thomas Kamber, Ph.D., founder and executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS), as the U.S. winner of its 2016 David Clarke Social Innovation Fellowship. "On behalf of the Macquarie Group Foundation and our judging panel in New York, we are delighted to congratulate Fellowship winner Tom Kamber of OATS, for his tireless commitment to social entrepreneurship and technology adoption for senior citizens," said Michael McLaughlin, U.S. Country Head for Macquarie. "Tom has been instrumental in shaping technology policy and delivering innovative programming to address the technology gap with older adults. We are proud to support OATS' innovative online learning platform and its plan to expand and improve upon the platform." Founded in 2004, OATS is the country's leading nonprofit in designing and delivering technology programs that improve the lives of older Americans. The organization operates 25 free technology centers for senior citizens in New York State, including two flagship Senior Planet Exploration Centers, the nation's first technology-themed community centers for older adults. OATS has taught over 30,000 free classes with a rigorous, multilingual curriculum available in English, Spanish, Chinese and Russian. OATS also sponsors SeniorPlanet.org, a content-rich website that celebrates "aging with attitude" and is visited by over a million unique individuals each year. "The field of aging and technology is exploding with new ideas right now, and comparative studies can help us draw from the world's best ideas as we build effective local programs and systems," said Dr. Kamber. "I am deeply honored to be selected for the David Clarke Fellowship, which will enable me to visit successful programs in other countries that can inform our work in the United States. Macquarie is one of the world's most innovative companies, so it's fitting that they are providing great leadership in the social innovation space as well."
